Record-breaking heat wave hits western U.S. for Thanksgiving

By

Ray Downs

Two girls play and drink at a fountain with temperatures over 90 degrees in the Lower East Side of New York City on July 21, 2016. This week in Los Angeles, temperatures will also be in the 90's about 25 degrees higher than normal. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Southern California and other western parts of the United States will experience a record-breaking heat wave for Thanksgiving.

In the Los Angeles area, temperatures this week have been about 25 degrees higher than normal for this time of year, Joe Sirard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, Calif., told the Los Angeles Times. And that was apparent on Wednesday, as temperatures soared into the 90's, breaking several local records.

At the Los Angeles airport, the day's high of 94 easily beat the previous high of 89 set in 1950, as well as Camarillo, where the the high of 99 set an all-time high for the entire L.A. region for that date, according to the National Weather Service.

The high temperature will continue on Thursday, as families gather to celebrate Thanksgiving with temperatures in the 90's when they are usually in the 70's.

"If you're going to be out and about during midday hours, wear sunscreen," Sirard said. "There will be lots of sunshine. Stay hydrated. It's going to be very dry."

Los Angeles isn't the only region experiencing record temperatures during the Thanksgiving holiday week.

Also on Wednesday, Las Vegas' high of 80 beat the previous record of 77 set in 1976; Salt Lake City's high of 68 beat the previous record of 66 in 1926; and Seattle Airport saw the temperature go up to 68, shattering the previous record of 58 set in 1959, according to Weather.com.